


u.s gov draft

by iaosabao



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-19 01:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22969966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iaosabao/pseuds/iaosabao
Summary: In the late 1700s, the United States had a population of more than 2.5 million people living in small cities, villages, and remote farms scattered between the East Coast and the Mississippi River. How could one national government possibly represent everyone and chart the best course of action for the whole nation? To address these questions and others facing their new democracy, the Framers of the U.S. Constitution included a legislative branch of government, the U.S. Congress, to act on behalf of the people. The Founding Fathers deliberately created a legislature of delegates to support their new representative democracy. Fear of returning to the arbitrary and often unfair power of a monarch led them to favor limited government and a series of checks and balances controlling their new system.





	u.s gov draft

**Author's Note:**

> In what ways does a diverse government reflect and support a diverse society? *  
> How should government meet the needs of its people?  
> How does a bicameral legislature support a representative democracy? *
> 
> Analyze the structure and functions of the legislative branch as outlined by the Constitution *  
> Explain the roles and duties of the legislative branch *  
> Evaluate the powers of the legislative branch in relation to the other branches of government *
> 
> oversight function *  
> partisans  
> trustees

Each branch of our government has a precisely portrayed scope of authority with unique responsibilities in the government. The legislature makes the laws, the executive branch implements the laws and the judiciary interprets the laws. Congress is the most important branch out of the three considering it is mentioned first in the Constitution. The powers of the legislative branch are immense and go way beyond making laws. In addition to passing legislation, Congress can set taxes, approve the federal budget, appropriate funds for programs, declare war and conduct investigations in many areas inside and outside the government (with subpoena power). Congress can propose amendments to the Constitution and has the power to impeach presidents. Congress is made up of a two-house legislature, or a bicameral; the House of Representatives and the Senate. Legislation is not possible without the consent of both chambers. Having a bicameral legislature is intended to provide representation for the people of the United States.

The “separation of powers” principle means no one branch of government should be permitted to control or interfere with the operation of another. It was the Founders’ intent to avert tyranny. The Founders set up a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government, preventing the enactment of laws unfairly impacting or favoring certain factions of the government or the people, and averting tyranny. For example, the legislative branch must approve candidates nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court. The executive branch can veto legislation passed by Congress. This is also referred to as an "interbranch check." The U.S. Supreme Court can hear constitutional challenges to state laws. House and Senate Rules Chamber rules also reinforce the oversight function; the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation. 

Delegates from states with large populations wanted legislatures to be chosen based on the state's population, so that their states would have more legislators and more power. This is called proportional representation, states with small populations understandably didn't want that. They favored equal representation in the legislature, which would give them equal power. Large states supported what was called the Virginia Plan, and small states wanted the New Jersey Plan, and it was argued over until a compromise was reached. It is considerably a great compromise. Lowly puns aside, since it was brokered by Connecticut's Roger Sherman, it was called the Connecticut Compromise, or more usually The Great Compromise. The compromise consists of an upper house with equal representation and a lower house with proportional representation. 

Diversity among Congress is important in order to properly represent the people. Senators are elected by and represent all individual voters of their state, while on the other hand, U.S Representatives are elected by and represent limited groups of citizens living in small geographically defined districts within each state. When the House considers a bill, individual members tend to base their votes primarily on how the bill might impact the people of their local district, while Senators tend to consider how the bill would impact the nation as a whole. This is just as the Founders intended. There are 435 total representatives in the House. According to Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, elected representatives must be at least 25 years old, and have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years. They must also live in the state they represent in Congress. Additional non-voting delegates represent the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Today, the 116th Congress, is the most racially and ethnically diverse it has been, with 116 nonwhite lawmakers. Fostering diversity such as this can help people trust in the government more, and represent the U.S better as a whole, considering it is a melting pot of individuals. I think it is both interesting and important to note that 12% of House members are black, matching up nicely with the fact that 13% of the population in America are black.

One of the powers belonging to specifically Congress is found in Article I, Section 7: "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." This is important because it means that any bills that raise taxes starts in the House, and of course, Americans care immensely about taxes. This is sometimes referred to as the "Power of the Purse."

**Author's Note:**

> history.house.gov  
> The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics #2 Youtube


End file.
